Automatic control mechanism for windmill pumps



J. B. EDGAR Oct. 25, 1938.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL MECHANISM FOR WINDMILL PUMPS Filed Sept. 24, 1937 Fill! Patented Oct. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John B. Edgar, Lind, Wash.

Application September 24, 1937, Serial No. 165,592

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an automatic control mechanism for windmill pumps, particularly employed to pump a supply of water to a reservoir for farm use.

It is an object of the invention to provide means for automatically -controlling the operation of the windmill pump so that the supply of water in the reservoir is maintained at a predetermined level and which is actuated by the overflow of water from the reservoir.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a mechanism of ther above-mentioned character which may be readily attached to the conventional windmill pump, is simple and durable in construction, efcient and reliable in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specication and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a side elevation of a windmill showing the control mechanism applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the mechanism for controlling the gearing of the windmill between the windwheel and pump,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the water container which is connected with the control mechanism of the gearing,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View of a modification of the invention, and

Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, of another modilcation of the invention.`

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration, I haveshown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 denotes a conventional windmill tower, supporting on its top a windwheel 6 having its shaft 1 connected with the crank shaft 8 by means of gears 9 and I 0, respectively mounted on the shafts 1 and 8. The crank of the crank shaft 8 is connected to the pump rod II and upon operation of the windwheel, the pump rod is reciprocated to deliver water from the pump I2 which is discharged through the pipe I3 into the water reservoir I 4. The gear Ill is slidably mounted on the shaft 8 and is provided with a collar I5 engaged by the fork I6 of the actuating lever I1 pivotally mounted, as at I8, in the turn-table I9. A cross arm 20 is formed integral with the lower end of the lever I1, having a weight 2| suspended from one end and a fork 22 formed at its opposite end which loosely engages in the annular groove 23 (Cl. 10S-23) formed in the sleeve 24 slidably mounted on the pump rod Il. An arm 25 extends laterally from the sleeve 24 to which one end of a cable 26 is attached. The cable 26 extends downwardly in parallel relation to the pump rod and connected 5 to the lower end of the cable is a hollow cylindrical container 21. In a dug well the container 21 is suspended within the Well below the surface ofthe ground, as shown in Fig. 1, but if applied to a drilled well, a chamber 28 is formed in the ground adjacent to the pump casing as shown in Fig. 4, with an opening 29 establishing communication between the chamber and pump casing and the container 21 is suspended Within the chamber. In Fig. 5, another manner of mounting the container 21 is disclosed, in which the container is constructed with a central passage 30 extending longitudinally of the container through which the pump casing extends, the container being free to slide longitudinally of the pump casing. An overflow pipe 3| extends from the reservoir I4 having its discharge end slidably mounted through the top of the container 21 and terminating in spaced relation to the bottom thereof. The bottom of the container 21 is provided with a series of openings 32 of varying sizes all of which with the exception of one are normally closed by removable plugs 33.

When the Windmill is operating water is pumped into the reservoir I4 which on becoming full overflows through the pipe 3 I which discharges water into the container 21. The weight of the water in the container 21 causes the same to move downwardly pulling the cable 2B which pulls the sleeve 24 downwardly thereby rocking the lever I1 which slides the gear II) out-of mesh with the gear 9 disconnecting the windwheel shaft from the crank shaft stopping the pump. The water in the container 21 slowly discharges through the open opening 32 in the bottom of the l container at all times and when the supply of water from the overflow pipe ceases, the water is drained from the container and the weight 2I rocks the lever I1 to shift the gear I0 into mesh with the gear 9, at the same time pulling the 5 cable 26 upwardly to return the container 21 to its normal position. If it is desired to accelerate the draining of the water from the container 21, the plugs 33 may be removed from the other openings 32 in the bottom thereof. Thus, it is seen the starting and stopping of the pump is controlled by the overflow of water from the reservoir I4 so the supply of water in the reservoir is maintained at a predetermined level.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken Yas a preferred example of the same and that certain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoned claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:-

A control mechanism for windmill pumps including awindwheel andapump having arodoperated thereby, a reservoir for holding the water discharged by the pump, transmission gearing between the windwheel and pump rod, a lever fork shifting said gearing into and out-of mesh, a counterbalanced arm carried by said lever normally holdings in the bottom thereof.

JOHN B. EDGAR. 

